Mobile Phone News Story

Google to stream on-demand Apps for Android mobile devices

Google has changed the way it tests its apps; the mobile application will now be delivered by streaming as opposed to a download file.

Several of these apps are now available to Android users, but it will only be for a limited time as they test the new concept.

There is not much of a difference between downloading and streaming an App; however, it does provide a completely different user experience. Users are now able to use the App as soon as it has been selected on the App link instead of waiting until it has been downloaded onto the phone, installed and then opened.

Developers are going to have to do a bit more work to make Apps more user friendly. Google recommends that Android developers reduce the size of their Apps to make the APK size smaller. This is going to involve trimming down unused resources, reducing the frame rates for animation and minimizing libraries among other techniques.

Instant Apps are also going to have to support URL-addressable navigation using the App Links. This may require refactoring as well as having to implement the runtime model for the Android 6.0 runtime.

Developers also need to modularise their Apps so that Android features are isolated in instant Apps. These include capabilities such as push notifications, background services, Mac Addresses and accessing unique identifiers.

One of the main advantages for developers is that once the App has been streamed to a device, the full App is installed and it remains on the device making it more likely that users will continue to use the App.

The popularity of mobile Apps is undeniable; however, there are certain Apps that find it difficult to compete on the market as the top seven mobile Apps are owned by corporate giants such as Facebook and Google. Apps that are not owned by these companies are finding it increasingly difficult to get their name recognised.